Congress 2011
Mar. 17 (Youth Day) & Mar. 18-20, 2011

2011 Theme
"Hold Firm ... Trust!"

Mantente Firme ... ¡Confía!"

 • Important Dates

 • Congress Dates

 • Youth Day T-shirts

 • Congress Exhibitors

 • Speaker Spotlight

 • Concert Spotlight

 • Congress Volunteers

 • Hotels

 • Cell Phones

 • So. Cal-ers Only

 • RECongress.org

 • Emailing

Online at archive.recongress.org


Email us at
congress
@la-archdiocese.org

A reminder that registration fees for the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress increase after February 4, 2011. The Youth Day fee increases by $5 per person (from $20 to $25) and the Congress fee increases $10 (from $60 to $70 per person). Be sure to register this month — before the fees go up. Our RECongress Emailings highlight some of the events going on at Congress 2011 — including added events and a spotlight on some of the speakers and musical artists coming to Congress. We also have added our listing of Congress Exhibitors, so be sure to check the Web site updated information. Pass along this emailing or our link — archive.recongress.org — to share with friends and encourage them to sign up for our Congress Emailing for updates. If you do not care to receive future updates, you can find removal information at the bottom of this message. ¡Para información en español, clic aquí!

Location
Congress is held at the Anaheim Convention Center, located at 800 West Katella Ave. in Anaheim, Calif. (just across from Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure). See a Yahoo Map

Fee
Rates are scheduled to increase after February 4, 2011. The fee for Youth Day is $20 per person. The fee for Congress, with separate registration form and fee, is $60 per person.

Registration
You can register for Youth Day and Congress days online by credit card. For those paying by check, you can use the forms in the Registration Guidebook. The Guidebook contains all workshop and speaker descriptions and one Youth Day form and two individual Congress Registration Forms per book. If you need a Guidebook, you can view one or order one online.

See the Guidebook

YOUTH DAY TEES ANNOUNCED!
March 17, 2011
Theme: Godbook: Everyone Invited

front

back

ATTENTION GROUP LEADERS: Official Youth Day T-shirts are available for custom and group pre-orders. Orders for customized shirts with payment must be received by February 4, 2011 and general pre-orders with payment must be received by February 18, 2011. Shirts ordered after February 18 will be available for pick-up starting at 8 a.m. on Youth Day at a booth in the Grand Lobby (south side) of the Convention Center Arena.

Find out more on the Youth Day page.

Go to RECongress.org/YD

EXHIBITORS LISTING ONLINE
Congress 2011 will again offer over 250 exhibiting companies — ranging from religious art to music, and from publishing houses to educational institutions, in addition to our own represented Archdiocesan ministries. You can find the updated alphabetical listing of Exhibitor and now, also a listing by category.

And don't miss the other events going on in Exhibit Hall A:
 -- Book Signing where speakers/authors/artists can sign their books and CDs;
 -- Tech Center to demonstrate computer-based sites and software; 
 -- ORE Booth is all about the hosting Office of Religious Education;
 -- Broadcast Booth where we interview presenters, artists and more;
 -- "Busted Halo" Show broadcast live on Sirius Radio;
 -- Free Souvenir ePostcard available Sunday at the Tech Center;
 -- Congress Souvenirs are available at the Information booth.

See the 2011 Exhibitors Page

CONGRESS SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT
Msgr. James Vlaun
In 2006, Msgr. James Vlaun was named President and CEO of Telecare, the television station of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, N.Y., and currently hosts three of their syndicated shows: “Good News,” “Real Food” and “Everyday Faith Live.” For the past 21 years, he has also hosted “Religion and Rock,” a nationally syndicated radio show. Msgr. Vlaun has authored two books and is part of a mission team that has offered missions in over 40 parishes. In addition, for the past 13 seasons, he ministers as the Catholic Chaplain for the New York Jets.

Friday, March 18, 2011 - 10:00 - 11:30 am
Period 1 - Session 1-26
"The Medium is the Message: Coffee and Ecclesiology"
Constantly bombarded by media, how can we utilize technology as ministers in the church? What should we be doing as catechists to utilize 21st-century technology to teach the Word of God? Can we keep up with technology and innovation?

You can find these other workshops dealing with the topic of Media at Congress 2011. Note: These workshops will not be recorded.

Msgr. James Vlaun
Saturday, March 19, 2011 - 10:00 - 11:30 am
Period 4 - Session 4-27
"Hope Will Not Disappoint! A Media Spirituality for the Minister"

Fr. Richard Leonard
Saturday, March 19, 2011 - 3:00 - 4:30 pm
Period 6 - Session 6-17
"Where the Hell is God?"

Sunday, March 20, 2011 - 1:00 - 2:30 pm
Period 8 - Session 8-11
"Choose Life! Christian Discernment Today"

Congress 2011 Speakers Topics Page

CONGRESS ENTERTAINMENT SPOTLIGHT
Friday Lunchtime Entertainment
Friday, March 18 - 11:45 am - 12:30 pm
Convention Center Arena
Donna Peña, Meredith Augustin, Anna Betancourt, Helena Buscema
“Music Fills the Soul”
Hungry for lunch…Hungry for love…Hungry for Jesus…Come get your fill. Join these four gifted women as they inspire and enrich your lunch hour with a wonderful musical experience that will fill your heart with hope and gratitude.

Donna Peña is a composer and performer, residing in Inver Grove Heights, Minn. Speaking strongly to and for the Hispanic community in the Midwestern church, she provides a leadership founded strongly on her Mexican and Cherokee heritage. While at the University of Minnesota, she took part in the Chicano Studies program. As she unites formal education with top-notch communication skills, she is able to produce music that serves well the needs for multilingual worship. In addition to her incredibly popular song “Digo Si, Señor/I Say Yes, Lord,” her recorded collections Alma Mia and Against the Grain as well as A New Heaven, A New Earth, Mass of the Nations or the collaboration with Marty Haugen We Come Dancing, provide a broad range of music and texts for inclusive worship. Peña’s compositions have been featured on the recording Cross Culture and also in the collection Music for Small Christian Communities. She stands at the forefront of composers who are able to express ethnic richness through accessible music.

Meredith Augustin is Director of Music at the Church of St. Francis on 31st Street in New York City. A native of Morgantown, W.V., currently residing in Brooklyn, N.Y., she holds a Master of Science degree in Counseling Psychology from West Virginia University. Meredith started singing at an early age and her styles run the gamut from jazz to musical theatre, from spiritual to soul. She has worked in ministry since the age of 9 as a cantor, accompanist and choir director for churches. She has also done extensive work in jazz clubs throughout the country. Meredith's first self-produced CD "What's Goin' On!" received rave reviews. Her association with World Library Publications began in 1995 as a featured soloist on several of John Angotti's recordings. Meredith had the pleasure of working with the late Leon Roberts on his final recording "Come Bless the Lord." Meredith's two fine solo albums with WLP are "Come and Go With Me," released in 2004, and "Deep River," released in 2007. Meredith gives workshops, concerts and retreats.

Anna Betancourt has been a life long member of St. Linus Catholic Church in Norwalk, Calif., where she served as Music Director for many years. She has over 20 years of experience directing various choirs, ranging from Spanish and traditional choirs to handbell, children's and contemporary ensembles. Anna is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University, where she studied under the direction of Paul Salamunovich. She later returned to her alma mater to work as Assistant Director of Liturgy and Music for LMU Campus Ministry. At the Archdiocesan level, she has served as a music committee member and deanery representative. Anna has also been a speaker and presenter at various conferences and workshops on music and liturgy. Anna has recorded with various Catholic artists and composers including OCP composers Bob Hurd, Jaime Cortez and Eleazar Cortés. She now serves as Director of Pastoral Services and Liturgy at St. Linus Catholic Church. Anna and her husband Michael have two children, Matthew and Samuel.

Helena Buscema is known for her enthusiastic style of cantoring at the 5:30 p.m. Sunday night Mass at St. Monica Catholic Church in Santa Monica, Calif., where she has sung for 26 years For 12 years she has been the cantor at the 8:30 a.m. Sunday Mass at Christ The King Church in Hollywood. She directs and leads a concert worship with her six-piece band and choir at Hope Lutheran Church in Hollywood, where she has served as Music Director for 13 years. A composer and Catholic recording artist with various styles of singing, Helena has released two CDs — “I Surrender All” (produced by Robert Kochis, arranged by Tom Booth, Israel Houghton and herself), and a duet recording with Leslie Smith “How Can I Keep From Singing,” (arranged by Leslie and Phil Cordaro and herself). Helena has also recorded with various Catholic artists and composers including OCP composers Bob Hurd, Jaime Cortez, Jesse Manibusan, and GIA composer Chris de Silva. In addition to her music ministry, she has sung in national TV commercials, TV shows and features films.

We have a need for volunteers at Youth Day and for English volunteers at Congress workshops and as Eucharistic Ministers for the two Closing Arena Liturgies. Volunteer positions include Assistants (ticket takers), Chairperson (coordinator) and Master of Ceremonies "MC" (to introduce the speakers).

Volunteers must be available to work FOUR workshop sessions. All volunteers must arrive 20-30 minutes prior to their assigned workshop and stay for the entire length of the session. A Congress Volunteer meeting will be held on February 22, 2011. For those interested, additional information and contact information can be found on the Congress Web site.

See Our Volunteer Page

HOTELS
This year we have contracted with 28 hotels nearby the Anaheim Convention Center to offer special rates for attendees. Find a hotel for Congress using our online 2011 Hotel page and our Interactive Hotel Map! We suggest making hotel reservations as soon as possible. When making reservations, be sure to ask for the Religious Education Congress rate.

RECongress.org/Hotels

BRING YOUR OLD CELL PHONE TO CONGRESS
Last year we witnessed two of the largest natural disasters in recent memory in Haiti and Pakistan. And through the generous participation of Congress 2010 attendees in our Cell Phone Recycling Initiative, we have been able to donate $1,800 to Catholic Relief Services’ emergency assistance to Haiti. Again this year we are partnering with GetGreenToGetGreen.com to collect phones to benefit Haiti and Pakistan. Bring your old cell phones — working or not — with you to Congress. More than 130 million cell phones are thrown away every year. Don’t throw away electronics that should be recycled. Do your part to recycle your old cell phone — and help us help Haiti and Pakistan in the process.

RECongress Spotlight Page

JUST FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIANS
Ralphs Grocery Company, a major supermarket chain in the Southern California area, supports schools, churches and other non-profit organizations with annual contributions. The Los Angeles Religious Education Congress is a member of Ralphs Community Contributions Program. Simply by using your Ralphs rewardss Card a portion of eligible purchases are contributed to the RECongress. (Note: This is an annual program that must be renewed each year. The current term is September 1, 2010 through August 31, 2011.)

Even if you were part of this program last year, you will need to update your account again this year. We encourage all Ralphs shoppers to sign up for the free Ralphs rewards Card and register their card with the Community Contributions Program. It’s easy! Every time you shop for groceries and scan your card at Ralphs, RECongress will automatically earn up to 5% of all eligible purchases per enrolled card. Sign up now! It’s never been easier to contribute to the RECongress.

Organization Name:: Archdiocese of Los Angeles - Religious Education
Address: 3424 Wilshire Blvd., 3rd Floor, Los Angeles, CA
Organization Number: 90658

Find step-by-step instructions and information online.

RECongress Ralphs Program

RECONGRESS.ORG
You can find all Congress information and updates online. We have begun to add our Exhibitors list for Congress 2011 and are constantly updating on our Congress 2011 Updates page. Check our site for updates and announcements.

archive.recongress.org

EMAILING
Find this and past Congress Emailings online at our Emailings page at archive.recongress.org/Emailing

Be sure to Sign-up for the Congress Emailing List. You may opt out from this Emailing at any time from the link below.

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